A
warm welcome to all visitors to theWiener Servitenkirche
„Maria Verkündigung”
(„Annunciation to the Virgin”)
in the Parrish of „Rossau”

With
imperial decree, dated Sept. 16th, 1638, by Emperor Ferdinand III,
the order of the Servites (probably through the energetic help of
Prince Octavio Piccolomini) was allowed to found a monastery
in Vienna. As early as May 19th, 1639, a temporary wooden church was
consecrated in the presence of the Emperor, his spouse, and many princes.
On November 11th, 1651, the foundation stone was laid for the present
beautiful edifice, which was then built in two stages. Consecrated
in 1670, ist indoor decoration was completed in 1677. The chapel of
St. Peregrin [8], as well as teh two spires, were added in the 18th century.

Inspired
by an Italian architect Palladio, the church of the Servites was built
by Martin Carlone. The church served as a model for other famous sacred
buildings in vienna, for instance St. Cahrales’ church (Karlskirche,
fourth district), the church of the Salesians sisters (Salesianerkirche,
third district), and St. Peter’s church (Peterskirche, first
district).

The
ground plan of our Church shows an elongates elliptical main room,
squared off by two arms facing each other. The western part is greatly
elongated, forming the altar room. Four identical, semicircular arms
are inserted between thes crossed arms. Behind the main altar the
sacristy ist situated, above which - open to the church nave - we
find the choir for the friars.

The most
important work of art is surely the „Pietà”
(from about 1470) [1] at the altar of Our Lady of Sorrows. Under this
altar, the tomb of Prince Octavio Piccolomini, who was a main
antagonist of Wallenstein (an important general in the 30 Years War),
is situated. Piccolomini’s escutcheon can be found above the
church entrance and in the nave, above the altar of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Because of his very active help, the building of this jewel in baroque
style has been rendered possible.

Another
patron of art was Baron Christoph of Abele; he donates the
„Liborius altar” [6], above which his blazon is depicted.
Beside the altar can be fund the figures of two saints. St Christophorus,
the Patron saint of Abele, and St. Clara as the Patron saint of his
wife. In Abele’s city home the convent of the Servites found
shelter during the Turkish siege in 1683. When the Turkish army drew
nearer, the demolition of all hauses outside the city walls was ordered;
luckily, the church was spared being razed like the suburbs and so
survived complete to the present day.

At the
altar of St. Sebastian [2] we find the figure of St. Augustin, according
to whose rules the Servites live, and the figure of St. Ambrosius,
by whom Augustinus had been baptized.

The beautiful
pulpit [3] from 1739 was made partly by a Servite lay brother from
Mieders in the Tyrol.

In our
church, the order’s special devotion to the Virgin is shown by
the picture of the main altar [4] with the scene of the Annunciation.
It is flanked by more tahn life-size figures of St. John the Baptist’s
parents, Zaccahria and Elizabeth, and on the other side by the Virgin’s
parents, Joachim and Anne. On the gablets of the four side altars
located in niches we find different figures of St. Mary an - around
the paintes clock - another representation of the Annunciation.

The two
large frescoes on the ceiling show the Ascension and the Coronation
of Our Lady. They are surrounded by eight medaillons showing scenes
of Jesus’ life.
The figures sitting on the arch-formed ledges above the vaults of
the side altars are prophets and kings from the Old Testament.

On the
right-hand wall near the main altar there is a large Crucifix, the
so called „Cross of Gallows” [5] from the 13th century.
Originally it was situated at the place of execution, today’s
„Schlickplatz”.

A deeply
venerated saint of the Order of the Servites is St. Peregrin, the
patron of people suffering from leg illnesses or cancer. The entrance
to St. Peregrin’s chapel (8) is located at the left side of the
altar of St. Anne [7]. Special attention should be paid to the textile
pictures under glass on this altar and on that of Our Lady of Sorrows
[1].
Two more altars are dedicated to St. John [9] and to St. Philippus
Benitius, another saint of the Order of the Servites.

On the
right-hand side of the church entrance you can find the chapel of
St. Juliana Falconieri, the „mother of the Servitian nuns”
[10], and on the left, the chapel of St. John Nepomuk, the patron
saint of the Austrian Province of the Order of the Servites [11].

A beautiful
wrought-iron latticework from 1670 separates the church nave from
the entrance.